A Letter to My Freshman Self

July 18, 2019

I am about to enter my senior year (and final year!!) at Iowa State. I am full of excitement, happiness, and fear. However, it’s nothing close to excitement that I felt as a freshman, so I am writing a letter to my freshman self what I would tell myself now that I’m a senior:

You’re going to spend a lot of time alone. I went into college thinking that it meant I’d be with my friends all the time, but that isn’t the case. What nobody tells you about college is that you’ll spend a lot of time doing mundane things like grocery shopping, laundry, studying, walking from class to class, working, etc. by yourself and you won’t always be surrounded by your friends or family. This is completely okay, and it’s actually a great thing! This is what forces you to learn independence, time management skills, and the importance of down time. The time that you spend with your friends will be incredible, and you’ll make so many great memories.

Making friends is not a science. In 2016, I was forced with something new to me: I was in a new place without the friends I knew well and grew up with. I had to make new friends and introduce myself to new people! When I didn’t have my own group right away, I spent a lot of time blaming myself and feeling lonely, but I was only making things worse for myself. It is completely okay to take your time to meet new people, and more importantly to meet the right people. Just be yourself, and you will find yourself clicking with people who vibe with that. Until then, you’ll have plenty to explore on your own and you’ll become best friends with yourself.

Please keep your body healthy. It’s easy to end up pulling all-nighters for your exams and eating more ramen noodles instead of real food, but your body can’t keep up with you forever. Your poor health will start to show if you don’t take care of yourself. Sleep regularly, pack plenty of healthy snacks, and laugh plenty.

Don’t make major decisions based on your significant other. That boy might be cute, but a college degree and following your dreams is so much cuter. You’ll meet a lot of people in college, and you’ll even fall in love with some of them, but remember why you came here in the first place. Your hard work will pay off when you follow your aspirations, and no one has the right to try to stop you if they truly care about you.

Most importantly, you are going to be okay. You’ll go through your highest of highs and lowest of lows, but you’ll come out just fine. The universe is rooting for you and so am I. Get ready for the most personal growth you will ever go through, and see you on the other side.